Thomas Edison/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, Can you do a movie about Thomas Edison? I think it would be very interesting. From, Katelin (Plymouth, Ohio). Actually, Moby and I are visiting Thomas Edison's laboratory today. Tim and Moby live in Thomas Edison's laboratory. Tim walks over to a table that has an incandescent light bulb and a phonograph on it. TIM: See? Look: Here's a design for the incandescent light bulb. And here's his phonograph, the very first record player. And here's, hey, what the heck is this? MOBY: Beep. Moby points straight ahead at Steam Guy in knight's armor. TIM: You know this guy? Moby walks over to the robot and hugs it, patting it on the shoulder. STEAM GUY: Dit-dit-dit, dah-dah-dah, dit-dit-dit. MOBY: Beep. A flap opens up on top of the robot's head and it whistles like a train as steam comes out of it. TIM: So, um, Steam Guy. Did Thomas Edison invent you, too? STEAM GUY: Dit-dit-dit, dah-dah-dah, dit-dit-dit. Steam Guy shows Tim fishing photo of him fishing with Thomas Edison. TIM: Oh, you were just friends. Well, do you want to help us tell Mr. Edison's story? STEAM GUY: Dit-dit-dit, dah-dah-dah, dit-dit-dit. TIM: All right then. Thomas Alva Edison was born in 1847 and grew up in Port Huron, Michigan. A U.S. map shows Port Huron, Michigan. A pop-up image shows Thomas Edison. TIM: He wasn't a star student; in fact, he had only 12 weeks of formal schooling. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, he was kind of hyperactive, and he asked a lot of questions. It frustrated his teachers, so his mom decided to pull him out of school and teach him at home. Side by side images show a frustrated teacher trying to teach Edison in class, and Edison's mom smiling and watching him read a book. TIM: By the time he was 12, Edison had devoured most of the books in his local library, and even started his own business. Port Huron was a big railroad town, and young Edison sold fruits, vegetables, candy, and newspapers to train passengers. Images show Edison holding the items he sold on trains. TIM: Later, as a teenager, Edison left home to become a telegraph operator. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Oh, the telegraph was sort of like a primitive telephone or radio. People used it to send and receive messages over long distances. An image shows the telegraph. TIM: But the telegraph couldn't transmit voices; instead, people communicated with a system of electrical pulses. It sounded kind of like. STEAM GUY: Dit-dit-dit, dah-dah-dah, dit-dit. Dah-dah-dah. TIM: Exactly! Anyway, many of Edison's early inventions were improvements to the telegraph. In 1874, the Western Union company paid him 10,000 dollars for a new telegraph that could handle four separate signals at the same time. An image shows a Western Union executive presenting Edison with a 10,000 dollar check. TIM: Edison used the money to set up his own laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where he could spend his time developing new technologies. He hired some assistants and worked around the clock trying out new ideas. An image shows Edison with his assistants at his laboratory. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, of course, it looks familiar; we're standing inside it right now! Edison's first big success came in 1877 when he invented the phonograph. An image shows the phonograph. MOBY: Beep. Moby is wearing headphones and listening to an mp3 player. He glances at the device as he beeps. TIM: No, it wasn't that sophisticated. In fact, it recorded sound on wax cylinders covered with tin foil. Tim holds up the tinfoil-covered cylinder. TIM: It wasn't perfect, but it was still way ahead of its time. And you can still play these old Edison cylinders today. Tim turns a crank on the phonograph and music plays. Steam Guy moves his head to the music. TIM: After the phonograph, the inventions kept right on coming. There was a precursor to today's X-ray machines, an improved stock ticker, and even one of the first movie cameras. Images show these inventions. TIM: But Edison's greatest success involved electric lighting. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, contrary to popular belief, Edison didn't invent the incandescent light bulb. But in 1879, he patented an improved version that lasted a lot longer than earlier models. Side by side animations show Edison and another man with light bulbs in front of them. Edison's light bulb stays on while the other light bulb goes out. TIM: More importantly, Edison figured out a way to generate electricity at central power stations and distribute it through power lines. The system he thought up gave homes and businesses access to cheap, reliable electricity. Edison eventually built his first power station in New York City and began supplying electricity to a growing number of customers. An animation shows the Edison Electric Light Company on a New York City block with lit street lights and unlit buildings that light up. TIM: The power company he founded soon became one of the largest corporations in the world. Today, it's known as General Electric. Thomas Edison's innovations made him rich, and he became one of the most admired men in America. He died in 1931, at the age of 84. So what do you think, Steam Guy? Did I get all the facts straight? STEAM GUY: Dit-dit-dit. Dah-dah-dah. Dit-dit-dit. Dah-dah-dah. TIM: Uh, I'd rather not touch the antique phonograph again. It could break. MOBY: Beep. Moby frowns. TIM: Oh, all right. Tim turns the phonograph crank and music plays. Moby and Steam Guy dance with each other. TIM: Wow, this is super weird. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Science Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Engineering & Technology Transcripts